Has anyone got a copy of the complete poem that begins, "Amy Elizabeth Ermintrude Annie, Went to the country to visit her Granny, Learnt to churn butter and learnt to make cheese, Learnt to milk cows, and take honey from bees?
I don't know the composer, but I remember learning it in school 35 years ago.
Many thanks,
I learnt it at school as a song:
Amy Elizabeth Ermyntrude Annie
Went to the country to visit her granny
Learnt to make butter and learnt to make cheese
Learnt to milk cows and take honey from bees.
When she came home she could not settle down
Said there was nothing to do in the town
Nothing to do and nothing to see
Life was all shopping and afternoon tea
Amy Elizabeth Ermyntrude Annie
Ran away back to the country and granny.
Marian,
Yes?
Likely choked up with gratitude.
No,
I just pressed the wrong button on the computer!!
G I G O
Dave B
If anyone has found the complete poem about Amy Elizabeth Ermintrude Annie, may I please have a copy of it or the title of a book that I may purchase containing the poem?
Thank you
Jillian
No, but every time I see four names strung together like that, I think of:
Percival Wilberforce Henderson Crane
Was married and dwelt up in Bethlehem, Maine.
He attended the church, and was fond of his wife,
And he live a respectable, virtuous life.
Now Genevieve Marguerite Valois Valence
Resided at Rouen, a city in France.
Her husband she loved in a manner insane,
For she never had heard about Percival Crane.
Each morning when Percival left for the day
He would kiss his wife fondly, then start on his way,
And at no other woman would Percival glance,
For he never had heard about Madame Valance.
Now Percival dreamed that through France he would tour
With his wife and his kids; but, alas, he was poor,
For his salary was small; so poor Percival Crane
Was obliged to stay home up in Bethlehem, Maine.
While Genevieve dreamed of a trip to the States,
But, alas, all her plans were upset by the Fates,
For her husband was poor, so she hadn't a chance
To travel from Rouen, a city in France.
So Percival still goes his virtuous way --
To church every Sunday, to business each day.
And at no other woman will Percival glance,
For he's never met Genevieve Valois Valence.
While Genevieve still leads a virtuous life.
Her husband she loves like a dutiful wife.
And no doubt she'll continue that way to remain,
For she's never met Percival Wilberforce Crane.
-- Newman Levy
Abdullah Bulbul Amir
The sons of the Prophet are hardy and bold,
And quite unaccustomed to fear,
but of all the most reckless of life or of limb
was Abdullah Bulbul Amir.
When they wanted a man to encourage the van
Or harass a foe from the rear,
Storm fort or redoubt, they had only to shout
For Abdullah Bulbul Amir.
This son of the desert in battle aroused
Could spit twenty men on his spear.
A terrible creature when sober or soused
Was Abdullah Bulbul Amir.
The heroes were plenty and well known to fame
That fought in the ranks of the Czar.
But the greatest of these was a man by the name
Of Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
He could imitate Irving, play euchre or pool
And strum on the Spanish guitar.
In fact quite the cream of the Muscovite team
Was Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
The ladies all loved him, his rivals were few
He could drink them all under the bar.
Come gallant or tank, there was no one to rank
With Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
One day this bold Russian had shouldered his gun
And donned his most truculent sneer.
He went into town, and straightway ran down
Abdullah Bulbul Amir.
"Young man", quoth the Bulbul, "Is existence so dull
That you're eager to end your career?
For infidel, know, you have trod on the toe
Of Abdullah Bulbul Amir."
"So take your last look at the sunshine and brook
And send your regrets to the Czar.
By this I imply you are going to die,
Mr. Ivan Skavinsky Skivar."
Said Ivan, "My friend, your remarks in the end
Will avail you but little, I fear.
For you ne'er will survive to repeat them alive,
Mr. Abdullah Bulbul Amir."
Then this bold Mamalouk drew his trusty skibouk
With a cry of "Allah Akbar."
With murderous intent he ferociously went
For Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
They parried and thrust, they sidestepped and cussed
Of blood they spilled a great lot.
The philologist blokes, who seldom crack jokes,
Say that hash was first made on that spot.
They fought all that night 'neath the pale yellow moon,
The din it was heard from afar.
And multitudes came, so great was the fame,
Of Abdul and Ivan Skivar.
As Abdul's long knife was extracting the life,
In fact he had shouted, "Huzzah!"
He felt himself struck by that wily Calmuck,
Count Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
The Sultan drove by in his red-crested fly,
Expecting the victor to cheer.
But he only drew nigh just to hear the last sigh
Of Abdullah Bulbul Amir.
Czar Petrovich too, in his spectacles blue
Drove up in his new crested car.
He arrived just in time to exchange a last line
With Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
There's a grave by the wave where the Blue Danube rolls,
And 'graved there in characters clear,
Is "Stranger, when passing, oh pray for the soul
Of Abdullah Bulbul Amir."
A splash in the Black Sea one dark moonless night,
Caused ripples to spread near and far.
It was made by a sack fitting close to the back
Of Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
A Muscovite maiden her lone vigil keeps,
'Neath the light of the pale polar star.
And the name that she murmurs so oft as she weeps
Is Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
-- Percy French (?)
Yes Percy French, 1877. There are several versions here
[monologues.co.uk]
And of course-
JAMES JAMES MORRISON MORRISON
from AA Milne
James James Morrison Morrison Weatherby George DuPree
Took great care of his mother though he was only three
James James said to his mother:
"Mother," he said, said he
"You must never go down to the end of the town,
if you don't go down with me.
Don't ever go down to the end of the town,
if you don't go down with me."
James James Morrison's mother put on her golden gown
James James Morrison's mother, she drove to the end of the town
James James Morrison's mother
She said to herself, said she
"Well, I can get down to the end of the town
And be back in time for tea.
Well, I can get down to the end of the town
And be back in time for tea."
King John put up a notice: "Lost, stolen or strayed,
James James Morrison's mother,
She seems to have been mislaid
Wandering vaguely all about quite of her own accord
She tried to get down to the end of the town--
Forty shillings reward.
She tried to get down to the end of the town--
Forty shillings reward.
James James Morrison Morrison, commonly known as "Jim"
Said to his other relations not to go blaming him
For James James said to his mother
"Mother", he said, said he
"Don't ever go down to the end of the town,
If you don't go down with me.
You must never go down to the end of the town,
If you don't go down with me."
Now James James Morrison's mother,
She hasn't been heard of since,
King John sent down to give his regrets,
And so did the queen and the prince,
King John, somebody told me,
Said to a man he knew,
"If people go down to the end of the town,
Well what can anyone do?
If people go down to the end of the town,
Well what can anyone do?"
pam
and the Colonel...
Colonel Fazackerley
Colonel Fazackerley Butterworth-Toast
Bought an old castle complete with a ghost,
But someone or other forgot to declare
To Colonel Fazak that the spectre was there.
On the very first evening, while waiting to dine,
The Colonel was taking a fine sherry wine,
When the ghost, with a furious flash and a flare,
Shot out of the chimney and shivered, 'Beware!'
Colonel Fazackerley put down his glass
And said, 'My dear fellow, that's really first class!
I just can't conceive how you do it at all.
I imagine you're going to a Fancy Dress Ball?'
At this, the dread ghost made a withering cry.
Said the Colonel (his monocle firm in his eye),
'Now just how you do it I wish I could think.
Do sit down and tell me, and please have a drink.'
The ghost in his phosphorous cloak gave a roar
And floated about between ceiling and floor.
He walked through a wall and returned through a pane
And backed up the chimney and came down again.
Said the Colonel, 'With laughter I'm feeling quite weak!'
(As trickles of merriment ran down his cheek).
'My house-warming party I hope you won't spurn.
You MUST say you'll come and you'll give us a turn!'
At this, the poor spectre - quite out of his wits -
Proceeded to shake himself almost to bits.
He rattled his chains and he clattered his bones
And he filled the whole castle with mumbles and moans.
But Colonel Fazackerley, just as before,
Was simply delighted and called out, 'Encore!'
At which the ghost vanished, his efforts in vain,
And never was seen at the castle again.
'Oh dear, what a pity!' said Colonel Fazak.
'I don't know his name, so I can't call him back.'
and then with a smile that was hard to define,
Colonel Fazackerley went in to dine.
Charles Causley.
Also, Godfrey Gordon:
The Reformation of Godfrey Gore
by William Brighty Rands
Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore--
No doubt you have heard the name before--
Was a boy who never would shut a door!
The wind might whistle, the wind might roar,
And teeth be aching and throats be sore,
But still he never would shut the door.
His father would beg, his mother implore,
"Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore,
We really do wish you would shut the door!"
Their hands they wrung, their hair they tore;
But Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore
Was deaf as the buoy out at the Nore.
When he walked forth the folks would roar,
"Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore,
Why don't you think to shut the door?
They rigged out a Shutter with sail and oar,
And threatened to pack off Gustavus Gore
On a voyage of penance to Singapore.
But he begged for mercy, and said, "No more!
Pray do not send me to Singapore
On a Shutter, and then I will shut the door!"
"You will?" said his parents; "then keep on shore!
But mind you do! For the plague is sore
Of a fellow that never will shut the door,
Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore!"
Human memory is still more incredible than computers!
I read this one is 4th grade from an (even then) battered school copy of poems (when they still taught the beauty of english at school rather than the shame of it), and I guess it was probably by that famous author "anon".
If anyone's seen the movie fahrenheit 451 they will understand the emotional attachment for the past that many of us feel, but political correctness it seems is doing its darned utmost to erase from the mediocre present day consciousness.
Thanks.
Are you the David Ball who wrote "Backwards and Forwards?"
I learnt Amy Elizabeth Ermintrude Annie at Primary School about 70 years ago, I think about 1934/5. Sorry can't remember any but the first four lines. Would love to have a copy of it if you ever managed to track it down
Amy Elizabeth Ermintrude Annie
Went to the country to visit her Grannie
Learnt to make butter and learnt to make cheese
Learnt to make (jam/tea) out of rasberry leaves.
Amy Elizabeth Ermyntrude Annie
Went to the country to visit her granny
Learnt to make butter and learnt to make cheese
Learnt to milk cows and take honey from bees.
When she came home she could not settle down
Said there was nothing to do in the town
Nothing to do and nothing to see
Life was all shopping and afternoon tea
Amy Elizabeth Ermyntrude Annie
Ran away back to the country and granny.
I believe that this is the plot of Alcott's 'An Old-Fashioned Girl.'
pam
there are two lines missing in marians version
after "...honey from bees" it should read
"learnt to spice roseleaves and learnt to cure ham
learnt to make cider and blackcurrant jam"
it was written by Queenie Scott-Hopper
i found this poem in a favourite child hood collection
The Book of a Thousand Poems
Thank you so much bobby - I can't remember ever having seen those two lines before, but I learned it as a song and they were may have been edited out to fit the tune. I'm also delighted to know the author.
Post Edited (02-14-05 04:26)